Track-switch.



M. J. HBNEHAN.

TRACK SWITCH.

APPLIUATN FILED DEO.16| 1912. 1,076,982, Patented 0015.28, 1913.

commun PLANOGRAPH co., wAsulNzrnN. n. c,

.7 /7 ////7 NN. 11---, f l kw um N mw .Wm m. uw m\ MARTIN J. HENEHAN, OFSEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

TRACK-SWITCH.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

Application filed December 16, 1912. Serial No. 736,929.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN J. HENRI-IAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of Kingand State of lVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Track-Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

rlfhis invention relates to improvements in railway switches, and itsobject is to prevent the derailnient of railway cars by the dislocationof the switch tongue.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation andcombination of switch actuating and locking mechanism whereby the switchtongue isA yieldiiigly secured in either of its extreme operativepositions, as fully described in the following specification,illustrated in the accompany ing drawings, and linally set forth in theappended claim.

ln said drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly insection, of apparatus embodying` my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in to-pplan of the saine partly broken away and with the cover' of the cusingremoved. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of Fig. 2 with the oscillatorycontroller removed. Fig. 4t is a detached perspective view of a detailof the invention.

Referring to said dra-wings, the reference numeral 1 designates aswitch-base and 2 the switch-body supported in said base and cushionedtherein by soft metal or other lining 3. Flanges l and 5 of said baselead respectively to the main and branch line rails. 6 indicates aswitch-tongue pivoted at one end and adapted to have its opposite end 7vibrate into close relation with either of said flanges which arerespectively provided with recesses 41 and 51 for its reception. Rigidlysecured at one end to said switchbase adjacent the end 7 of said tongueis a` metal boX or casing 8 provided with a removable cover 9. Extendingthrough reg istering apertures in the casing, switch-base 1 and body 2,is a bar 10 provided at its outer end with a notch 11 adapted to receivetherein the switch-tongue 6. Said bar could obviously be extended tosimilarly engage a pair of switch-points, as will be readily understood.Within the casing the inner end of said bar is rigidly connected at 15with a rectangular frame 12 whose legs 13 and 14 are disposed inparallel planes.

16 and 17 indicate a pair of oppositely ai ranged sleeves slidablymounted in alined apertures formed iii said legs 13 and 1li, respectively. Said sleeves extend mainly outwardly of said faiiie and areformed on `their inner ends with peripheral flanges 18 to provide abearing about said apertures upon the inner face of the respective legsand prevent their passage outwardly there through. A rod 19 is slidablymounted within the bores of said sleeves and is provided with a head 2Oat one end to act as a stop against the outer end of sleeve 16. Theopposite end of said rod is rigidly secured at 21 to a block 22 which,in turn,

acts as a stop for sleeve 17. A coil-spring Q3 is mounted upon rod 19within frame 12 and its opposite ends engage under some tension theflanges 1S of said sleeves.

The block 22 is provided with parallel grooves 2a in its undersideadapted to slidably engage corresponding ridges 25 arrangedlongitudinally in the bottom wall of said casing. Said block is formedon its upper side with a transversely disposed channel 2S to receive adownwardly protruding Vpin 27 of an oscillatory controller 2S. Saidcontroller is rotatively mounted in said cover 9 and formed with a ley-seat 29. ltis provided with a peripheral flange B0 within `the casingwhich is formed with a pair of abutments 31 adapted to respectivelyengage upon opposite sides of a stop 32 upon thecasing wall which limitthe oscillatory movements of the controller in either i direction tosomewhatinore than one-half of a complete revolution. The vertical airisof said controller is apigiroxin'iately in line with the longitudinalaxis of the rod 19. The pin 27 is arranged within the channel 2li to`actuate the block 22 longitudinally of the casing through theoscillating movements of the controller. lit the termination of therespective said actuating movements said pin passes beyond thelongitudinal axis of the rod 19; that is to say, the dead center ofrevolution and when brought to rest by the impingement of the respectiveabutment 31 upon the stop 32 secur s said block from further movement ineither direction until again manually operated by the reverseoscillation of the controller.

lt is thought that the operation of the in ventioii will be apparentfrom the foregoing description of the invention. Assuming that thedescribed devices are in the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 2,the pin 27 is indicated in dotted lines by @7LL in its rearmost positionand being beyond the axial lines of rod 19, is secured by theinterference of the respective abutment 31 with the stop 32. In suchposition of the controller and pin 27 the block is retracted to itsrearmost position and the switch-tongue 6 is retained upon the adjacentside of the switch-body 2. Said controller being given a partialrevolution by the application of a suitable key-wrench within thekey-seat 29, the pin 27 wit-hin the channel 26 influences the block 22forwardly to its advanced position; the pin being again secured in theposition indicated by 27d in F ig. 2, which, in turn, locks the block insuch advanced position. The described forward movement of the blocksimilarly actuates the rod 19 and the sleeve 17. The movement of thelatter is communicated to the bar 10 through the spring 23 and frame 12to advance the switch-tongue to the opposite side of said switch-body,the tongue and its actuating parts being shown in such position indotted lines in Fig. 2. In reversing the switch to return the same toits original position, the block 22 influences the rod 19 rearwardly andthe stop 20 similarly impels the sleeve 16 upon the spring 23 whichforces the frame 12 and bar 10 to their eXtreme rear ward positions.

It will be seen that the switch-tongue is yieldingly held in either ofits operative positions and that in case of a car accidentally backingthrough the closed switch, the latter will yield and allow the same topass Vthrough without in any way damaging the apparatus or leavingit indangerous condition for subsequent trafiic.

Referring to Fig. 2, should a car-wheel be backed through the switch, asrepresented in full lines in the view, the bar 10 would be drawnoutwardly which, through its rigid connection, would similarly affectthe frame 12 which, in turn, through its relation with the flange 18 ofthe sleeve 17, causes the latter to slide forwardly upon the locked rod19 while sleeve 16 is held in lixed position and said frame slidesthereupon. The spring 23 is thus compressed between the sleeves 16 and17 and immediately the interposed object is removed between the switchtongue and the respective switchflange the power of the spring assertsitself to force the frame and bar back to its proper position. The partswill operate in analogous manner under like conditions when theswitch-tongue is positioned upon the oppo` site side of the switch-body.

Vhile I have described my invention with some detail, I do not intend tolimit myself to the exact construction shown, as obviously variouschanges in detail and modilications of parts within the scope of theclaim may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrilicing its advantages. v

Having described my invention, what I claim, is-

In combination with a switch-tongue, a reciprocative bar operativelyconnected with said tongue, a U-shaped frame having two legs each formedwith an alined aperture,

one of said legs rigidly connected to said bar, a sleeve slidable 1neach of sa1d apertures formed with a flange upon the innervside of therespective leg, a rod slidably mounted in said sleeves and provided witha stop for each of the opposite outer ends of said sleeves, a spring onsa1d rod conlined between said sleeves, a sliding block rigidlyconnected with said rod, and moving in a longitudinal plane therewith,said block provided with a transverse groove, an oscillating diskdisposed above said block and carrying an eccentric pin to engage saidgroove whereby the bar is reciprocated upon manipulation of said disk.

Signed at Seattle, Vash., this 29th day of November, 1912.

MARTIN J. HENEHAN.

IVitnesses PIERRE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

